Adjustable arch support device



Sept. 5, 1967 R- ROTK() I 3,339,555

ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT DEVICE Filed sept. 15, 1964 l I NVE NTOR.

HTTOENEYS United States Patent Oflce 3,339,555- Patented Sept. 5, 1967 3,339,555 ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT DEVICE Russell Rotko, 691/2 Pleasant St., Danbury, Conn. 06810 Filed Sept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,509 2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-606) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Heretofore, arch supporting devices have been well known, in the art, but such prior devices have had limited utility and have not always afforded the desired support, since they have relied von a fixed or preformed surface jcontour to'achieve the support.

The present invention overcomes the limitations inherent in prior arch supporting devices and has as an important object thereof to provide anadjustable arch support having a supporting surface contour which is readily varied to support the arch, as required in each individual case.

It is also an object of the' invention to provide an arch support, which `is readily adjusted by relatively unskilled persons,'for supporting the arch of a foot in a manner dictated by its needs.`

Another object of the invention is to provide an arch support device, whichv is universally adapted to be. disposed in substantially any -type of shoe, that is readily adjustable to conform its surface contour to the requirements of the arch of the wearer.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable arch supporting device comprising a substantially flat envelope, conforming in shape to at least a portion of the inner sole of a shoe and being disposed within a shoe to overlie the shoe arch, the envelope having adjustably movable means therein for altering its surface contour, whereby the arch of the wearers foot is supported in the desired manner.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an arch supporting device comprising superposed deformable panels connected throughout substantially their entire periphery to form an envelope shaped to conform with and overlie at least a portion of the inner sole of a shoe, the envelope being open along its edge corresponding to the inner edge of the inner sole adjacent the shoe arch, and wedge shaped means movably disposed within the envelope adjacent the open edge thereof for deforming at least one of the panels, whereby the surface contour of the envelope is varied to provide the required arch support.

It is further an object of the invention to provide an adjustable arch supporting device which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture and readily adapted for removable insertion in the shoe of a wearer for providing the required arch support.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specication and claims, when considered in connection with the attached sheet of drawings, illustrating one form of the invention, wherein like characters represent like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, in section, of a shoe having the arch supporting device therein, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the shoe and arch supporting device of FIG. 1;

. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the arch supporting device, according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the arch supporting device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one form of wedge means embodied in the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of wedge means for use in the invention;land

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of still another form of wedge means for use in the invention.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, in FIGS. 1 and 2 a conventional shoe 10, including outer sole 11, heel 12, shoe upper 13 and inner sole 14, is shown in combination with an arch supporting device 15, embodying the invention.

-As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the arch supporting device 15, which may be permanently positioned in the shoe, form part of the shoe or be removably disposed therein, includes a pair of substantially flat deformable panels 16 and 17, of leather or similar material, superposed to form an envelope 18, having a shape substantially conforming to at least a portion of the inner sole 14 of the shoe andv overlying the shoe arch, as at 19. While the panels 16 and 17 may be formed as integral imembers to provide the envelope 18, in the herein illustrated form of the invention they are peripherally connected as at 20 by stitching or the like. The envelope V18, which is closed throughout most of its periphery, is provided with an open edge, as at 21, in an area corresponding to the inner edge -of the inner sole 14 and adjacent the shoe arch 19.

It should here be noted that, while the panels 16 and 17 forming the envelope may comprise identically shaped independent members or form -part of the shoe inner sole, 'in the preferred form of the invention illustrated, the panels are independently formed with the upper panel 16 being enlarged in the area of the arch, as at 16a to blend into the shoe upper and extending beyond panel 17, as shown at 16b, to lblend into the inner sole.

According to the invention, in order to provide the desired support against the arch of the person wearing the shoe, at least one of the panels 16 and 17, and preferably the upper panel 16, is deformed so that its surface contour is varied as required. According to the invention, the surface contour of the panel or panels are deformed by inserting spacing means of substantially resilient material, such as rubber or the like, into the envelope to predeterminately space portions of the panels forming the same. Preferably, the spacing means are wedge shaped members 22 that are adapted to be inserted through the o-pen edge 21 into the envelope with their tapered edge 23 directed toward the edge of the envelope corresponding t-o the outer edge of the inner sole 14 and their base edge 24 adjacent the opening.

While the arch supporting device, illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, is shown to include uniform Wedge shaped spacing members 22, it is within the concepts of the invention that irregularly shaped spacing means be utilized in conjunction with or as a substitute for the members 22, so long as they are readily adjustably positioned within the envelope to predeterminately space the panels and provide the proper support. While the spacing means may take a variety of forms, in addition to that shown in FIG. 5, in FIGS. 6 and 7 two modified wedge shaped members 25 and 26 are shown which not only. space the panels 16 and 17, as required, but control the character of the supporting surface contour of the device for conforming it to the arch and gently tapering it into the surface of the shoe inner sole. In FIG. 6 the spacing means 25 is tapered laterally, as shown at 27, as well as longitudinally, as shown at 28, to space the panels 16 and 17 in such a manner that the surface contour of the envelope 3 blends into the surface of the inner sole of the shoe. The spacing means 26 in FIG. 7 is uniformly longitudinally tapered, in a manner similar to member 22, as shown at 29, but is formed with a convex upper surface 30 to provide a positive curve to the surface contour of the envelope 18.

In utilizing the arch supporting device 15, Whether it forms an integral part of a shoe or constitutes a removable attachment thereto, adjustment of the device to provide the desired support is accomplished by merely moving the spacing means within the envelope 18 until the panels 16 and 17 are spaced to provide the desired surface contour in the envelope for achieving the required support. It will be observed that readjustment of lthe device is readily accomplished at any time to compensate for changes in the wearers foot or to -vary the support provided. It is within the concepts of the invention to provide indicia of any desired character on the envelope 18, as shown at 31, by printing, impressing or similarly marking one of the panels, for accurately locating or relocating the spacing means to assure that the desired support is always obtained.

Thus, among others, the several objects and advantages of the invention as aforenoted are achieved. Obviously numerous changes in the structure may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable arch support device adapted to be positioned within a shoe and disposable over an arch portion thereof comprising superposed deformable panels secured together :about the periphery thereof to provide an envelope of a length extending over the arch portion of said shoe, said envelope being opened solely along a portion of its edge corresponding to the inner edge of the shoe and adjacent the arch portion thereof, and Wedge means disposed within said envelope through said open edge for deforming at least one of said panels by spacing the same, said wedge means comprising a plurality of elongated, laterally spaced, narrow wedge members, each tapering to a thin edge at one end thereof and having a 4 Width less than one-half of the length of `the pocket, said wedge members being insertable thin edge rst through said open edge and extending across the pocket and being readily movable sidewise within the pocket -along the length of the pocket for establishing the desired spacing between said panels whereby at least one of said panels is predeterminately deformed so that the surface contour of the envelope is controlled.

2. An adjustable arch support device adapted to be positioned within a shoe to overlie an arch portion thereof comprising superposed deformable panels secured together about the periphery thereof to provide an envelope of a length extending over the arch portion of said shoe, said envelope being opened solely along a portion of its edge corresponding to the inner edge of the shoe and adjacent the arch portion thereof, and a plurality of wedge members disposed within said envelope `through said open edge for deforming at least one of said panels by spacing the same, said Wedge members each comprising an elongate narrow resilient member tapering to a thin edge at one end thereof and having a width substantially less than the length of the pocket, said wedge members being insertalble thin edge rst through said open edge and extending across the pocket and being readily movable sidewise within the pocket and with respect to one anothe-r along the length of the pocket for establishing the desired spacing between said panels whereby at least one of Ysaid panels is predeterminately deformed so that the surface contour of the envelope is controlled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,690,964 11/1928 Balaskas V 128-605 1,941,713 l/1934 Parsons 12S- 605 2,312,378 3/1943 Baum 128--596 2,437,136 3/ 1948 Stemmons 128-605 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

SIMON BRODER, Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITHIN A SHOE AND DISPOSABLE OVER AN ARCH PORTION THEREOF COMPRISING SUPERPOSED DEFORMABLE PANELS SECURED TOGETHER ABOUT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF TO PROVIDE AN ENVELOPE OF A LENGTH EXTENDING OVER THE ARCH PORTION OF SAID SHOE, SAID ENVELOPE BEING OPENED SOLELY ALONG A PORTION OF ITS EDGE CORRESPONDING TO THE INNER EDGE OF THE SHOE AND ADJACENT THE ARCH PORTION THEREOF, AND WEDGE MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE THROUGH SAID OPEN EDGE FOR DEFORMING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PANELS BY SPACING THE SAME, SAID WEDGE MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED, LATERALLY SPACED, NARROW WEDGE MEMBERS, EACH TAPERING TO A THIN EDGE AT ONE END THEREOF AND HAVING A WIDTH LESS THAN ONE-HALF OF THE LENGTH OF THE POCKET, SAID WEDGE MEMBERS BEING INSERTABLE THIN EDGE FIRST THROUGH SAID OPEN EDGE AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE POCKET AND BEING READILY MOVABLE SIDEWISE WITHIN THE POCKET ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE POCKET FOR ESTABLISHING THE DESIRED SPACING BETWEEN SAID PANELS WHEREBY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PANELS IS PREDETERMINATELY DEFORMED SO THAT THE SURFACE CONTOUR OF THE ENVELOPE IS CONTROLLED. 